Day of National Leaders is common Bulgarian holiday commemorating the work of Bulgarian educators, writers, revolutionaries and holy Leaders of reviving the national spirit, the pursuit of education and literature.

Spiritual enlightenment of the Bulgarian people gave impetus to national liberation movement in Bulgarian lands

First celebration of National Leaders became the festival in Plovdiv in 1909 and since 1922 has been recognized as an official holiday in Bulgaria.

Saint John of Rila (Bulgarian: Свети Йоан (Иван) Рилски, sveti Ioan Rilski) (876 – c. 946) was the first Bulgarian hermit. He was revered as a saint while he was still alive. The legend surrounding him tells of wild animals that freely came up to him and birds that landed in his hands. His followers founded many churches in his honor, including the famous Rila Monastery. One of these churches, "St Ivan Rilski" was only discovered in 2008 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo. Today, he is honored as the patron saint of the Bulgarians and as one of the most important saints in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.